Brad Pitt and Darren Aronofsky Reunite for THE TIGER

Brad Pitt and director Darren Aronofsky will try again to make a film together with the adventure thriller The Tiger. The project is based on an upcoming nonfiction book by John Vaillant, and according to Variety, “takes place on the Siberian plain, where human development is encroaching on the tigers’ habitat — and one tiger turns on the intruders. With townspeople being tracked and hunted with an almost supernatural power, a conservationist game warden must face down the tiger. It is a fight that only one of them can win.” So it’s Tiger vs. People. I would have been excited for this project without the inclusion of Pitt and Aronosfky but they send it over the top. Unfortunately, the script is being handled by Babel writer Guillermo Arriaga whose only film I enjoyed (and granted I really loved it), was The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

Hit the jump for a brief history of Pitt and Arnofosky’s previous attempts at making a film together as well as what Arriaga had to say about writing the script.

Pitt and Aronofsky previously tried to make The Fountain, but financing fell through and Pitt had to leave the project (Aronofsky later retooled the project with a smaller budget and cast Hugh Jackman in the role). The two then almost teamed up for The Fighter, but both dropped out of that project (David O. Russell later signed on to direct with Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg to star; the film comes out later this year).

Here’s what Arriaga had to say about writing the flick:

“This is the first time I have adapted a screenplay, since I have previously only written original screenplays. I chose to adapt this story, first, because I have a profound love for the outdoors and the intense tension between man and nature which the book reflects; and, second, because of the great privilege of working with such accomplished filmmakers as Darren Aronofsky, Brad Pitt, and James Schamus.”

While I’m encouraged that this is an adaptation rather than an original story, I wish Arriaga had just said, “Because tigers fighting people is fucking awesome.”